Improvement in buckles



COLE Buck1 No, 214,492. Patented April 22, 1879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VINCENT A. COLEM N, OFHOPE TOWNSHIP, DURHAM COUNTY, ONTARIO, CANADA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUCKLE S.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,492, dated April 22, 1879; application filed August 19, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VINCENT ABEL COLE- MAN, of the township of Hope, in the county of Durham and Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented a new and useful Clamp-Buckle, which is fullyset forth in the following specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is a buckle consisting of a base plate-and a top plate having an independent tongue-plate hinged thereto, said top and bottom plates being hinged together by an intermediate bail or links, as will be fully described hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved buckle; Fig. 1, a plan view with the tongue-plate in section to show the bearing'shoulder e of the projection Fig. 2, an elevation of the same; Fig. 2 a section of the top plate, showing the bearingshoulder e Fig. 3, a perspective view of the buckle as applied to the straps; and Fig. 4 represents views of a bail which may be employed if desired instead of the links (3 0.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improved buckle, I will now proceed to fully describe the same.

A, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, represents the top portion of the buckle, consisting of a flat plate of suitable length and width, which is provided with a central slot, Fig. l and the side flanges x w, Figs. 1 and 3, as shown.

B represents a bottom plate, which may be of any proper construction.

G represents links or a bail, Fig. 4, by means of which the top and bottom plates are loosely connected, the point of connection of the top plate being near its center, as shown.

F represents a plate of suitable construction, which is hinged at its rear end to the rear end of the top plate, A, and is provided at its front end with a downwardly-projectin g tongue, E, having its front edge inclined, as shown. This tongue, it will be observed, is provided with a square shoulder, c, Fig. l 2, which, when the buckle is in use, bears against the corresponding shoulder e in the plate, for the purpose of relieving the hinge-pin from strain. Any suitable spring may be employed in connection with this plate for the purpose of depressing the front end of the same, to hold the tongue properly in its locking position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

M represents the rear strap, and N the front strap, which of course may be employed for draft or other proper purposes. I

The position of the parts when the buckle is in use is shown in Fig. 3.

The bottom plate is rigidly fastened to the strap N in any proper manner, and the loose strap M lies within the flanges of the top plate, with the tongue in one of its'holes.

The operation is substantially as follows: When it is desired to tighten the rear strap the same is thrust forward through the buckle the proper distance, this movement being readily permitted by the inclined face of the projection E, which rides out of the hole in which it is held and over the strap until the proper point is reached. When, however, a strain is exerted in a'rearward direction, the square shoulder of the projection bears against the hole and prevents the movement of the strap in that direction.

By the rearward strain, also, the top and bottom plates, by means of the intermediate bail or links, are caused to approach each other and tightly clamp the strap between them.

When it is desired to loosen the rear strap the tongue-plate is lifted on its pivot until the tongue is disengaged from the strap, when it may be readily moved in arearward direction.

Some of the advantages of the described construction are as follows: The straps when the buckle is in use are doubly united-that is, they are clamped together, in addition to being held by the tongue and plates. By means of this construction the tongue, and also the strap at the holes, is to some extent relieved from strain.

The operation of the buckle is exceedingly simple and effective, and its construction is also simple.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim. as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A buckle consisting of a suitable base as described.

plate and a top plate having an independent Signed at Port Hope this 15th day of Autongue-plate hinged thereto, said toop a-ndkbotgust, 187 6. tom plates being hinged together y lin s or their equivalent, as described. VINQENT- ABEL COLEMAN 2. In combination with the square shoulder In presence of-- e on the tongue, the bearing 0 upon the plate, W. A. JENKINS,

. F. A. BENsoN. 

